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Opinion
ire REPORl! [ Wednesday, December 2,1992
The Battalion
Page 9
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Editorials
rug sentences unfair
No basis for arbitrary standards
enjoy see-
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■ coach for
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rom out-
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5 include
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fre
ilong the embattled fronts of city
treets and national borders, a new
assault has been launched from
vithin prison walls.
A growing number of critics be-
ieve that current federal drug-sen-
encing practices are putting more
)lacks in jail, while white offenders
scape with little more than a slap
m the wrist.
Currently, 90 percent of crack de
fendants are black, serving man da-
lory sentences, sometimes for pos-
ession of as little as five grams,
hough many cocaine offenders are
jvhite, these are usually powder co-
aine offenses which carry no min-
mm mandatory sentences.
Drug-sentencing laws created by
ongress in 1985 equate every gram
of crack cocaine with 100 grams of
powder cocaine. Based on the idea
that crack is more addictive and de
structive than powdercocaine.
Congress arbitrarily assigned the
1:100 ratio. While the scientific and
medical communities agree that
crack is more deadly than powder
cocaine, the federal sentencing laws
were not based on any of the avail
able concrete evidence.
Though concerns about racial in
equity in sentencing are still being
studied, Congress should enact
more logical sentencing for both
crack and cocaine offenses than the
arbitrary standards currently in
place. Despite sentencing reform,
however, education and rehabilita
tion remain far more effective in
drug prevention than incarceration.
Cross-ethnic adoption
Judge strikes down outdated code
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I On Monday, a San Antonio judge
pllowed a family to adopt the baby
nrl for whom they had cared since
he day she was born. While adopt-
ng children isn't commonly consid-
ired against state policy, this partic
ular case is being hailed as a land-
park decision for Texas.
| The baby girl is Hispanic; the
family who wants to adopt her is
thite. And the decision to allow
jhem to be joined as a family is still
I gray matter.
| While the idea of integration is
considered old news, state policy
las kept many hopeful parents and
the children they hoped to adopt
separate. But equal,
j The Department of Human Ser
vices told the family that they could
not adopt the child because they
were not Hispanic. The family sued
the agency and won the right to
adopt her, breaking the time-hon
ored policy barring cross-ethnic
adoptions.
The judge's decision to allow the
parents to adopt the baby brings the
state policy up to date, when fami
lies are judged as group of humans,
and not as color-coordinated units.
Until now, state policy has main
tained that families could not adopt
a child who was of a different eth
nicity.
The parents who choose to love a
child regardless of ethnicity show
that love truly can be blind.
The fact that a state's policy pre
vents many families from doing so,
shows that America's blind justice
isn't even color blind.
Columnist defends RHA request
Proposal to benefit hall councils, students, campus
C onfusion breeds controversy.
Tonight the Residence Hall As
sociation will vote on a pro
posal that has stirred some debate
mostly due to the lack of understand
ing about the methods and the bene
ficiaries. The proposal would not in
crease room rent, and it would bene
fit every campus resident.
Proposal R92F-04 requests that
the University allocate five dollars of
each semester's rent and $2.50 from
each summer session rent to RHA
which would distribute most of the
funds to individual residence hall
councils. Some of the revenues
would pay the wages of an accoun
tant to manage the funds, and RHA would keep one per
cent of the revenues. The proposal also outlines a careful
system of internal control.
RHA will distribute the money based on the number of
students in each hall. Hall councils will discontinue sales
of so-called "activity stickers" in order to receive the mon
ey. Activity stickers entitle the buyer to discounted and
free services in addition to participation in the activities of
the hall council. However, many of the services and activi
ties of hall councils are available to students regardless of
whether or not they have a sticker.
Hall councils are by nature service organizations, but,
like any other organization, they need dollars to produce
their many programs and services.
Hall councils, for example, organize most of the non-reg
groups that go out to cut for bonnre. Councils take groups
to All-U Night, yell practice. Silver Taps, and even volley
ball games.
Most councils recycle aluminum cans, and some even
recycle newsprint for their residents. Councils participate
in many other community service projects like fundraising
for the United Way and participating in charity drives.
Many councils provide quiz files, vacuums and mi
crowaves for residents' use, though some charge for the
services.
Councils organize social events within the halls from
floor activities to events like assassination games and vol
leyball tournaments. Many halls host or subsidize formals
and semi-formals for their residents.
Hall councils also provide educational programming for
residents. Councils commonly sponsor free programs
about issues like AIDS, stress reduction, and multicultural-
ism.
Councils spend some revenue on physical improve
ments to the halls. In the past, councils have paid for tro
phy cases and bulletin boards. Hall councils and RHA
have paid for or helped pay for three volleyball pits on
campus.
RHA itself has a long and distinguished record of bring
ing student concerns before the University. Before endors
ing a proposal to provide on-campus residents with cable,
RHA conducted campus-wide surveys. RHA successfully
championed the efforts toward coed housing and 24-hour
visitation.
Though councils work long and hard to improve life in
their halls, they cannot depend on consistent funding
sources. Councils must ask students for money in ex
change for activity stickers before students have the chance
to see what they'll get in return. During the semester,
councils seem to perpetually petition money from resi
dents.
An organization intended to serve can occasionally an
noy instead. Ironically, councils cannot provide good pro
grams without money, but it is difficult to raise money
without putting on good programs.
Living on-campus, hall councils know the needs of their
residents and how to meet them. Being close and respon
sive to the constituency, hall councils are uniquely able to
serve on-campus students.
Already under the watchful eye of the Department of
Student Services, councils that share the values of the Uni
versity can become an effective and responsive means to
execute its goals such as providing the "other education"
and educating about multiculturalism.
The RHA proposal, if approved, will go to University
officials for consideration. If the University administrators
enacts the idea, the proposal will serve their best interests
as well as those of the residents and the hall councils.
Purvis is a junior petroleum engineering major
DWAYNE
PURVIS
Columnist
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Review
uanell X offends
gay community
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I Editor's Note: The following is an open
\tter addressed to Rep. Ron Wilson. s
Review
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I Dear Rep. Wilson:
[ We are writing to express our shock
&nd disappointment at the homophobic
pmarks that were made by Quanell X
luring your recent visit to Texas A&M
iniversity and especially at your re-
psal to repudiate these remarks when
®ter queried about them.
['There is perhaps no community at
pas A&M that is more supportive of
lie African-Americans on this campus
jian the gay and lesbian community,
fe share the experience of prejudice
Ind discrimination and the desire for
Iterance and acceptance, and we have
forked very closely together in the
Ipast toward the goal of a discrimina-
jion-free campus.
[ Therefore, we were deeply pained by
Mr. X's remarks, which were a gratu
itous insult to our community and were
doubly hurt by your failure as a leader
and role model for African-Americans
to refute his remarks. You came to our
campus to fight the viscious disease of
racism, and you had the strong support
of the gay and lesbian community in
this fight. However, you left behind the
germs of the equally viscious disease of
homophobia, and you alienated your
friends and supporters in the process.
We believe that you owe the gay and
lesbian community an apology for your
silence, and that you need to clarify
your position on this issue to the
African-American students and the
campus as a whole. In this way, and
only in this way, can you heal the rift
that you and Mr. X have created be
tween our two communities.
Dr. Jim Mazullo
Dr. Harriette Andreadis
Dr. Larry Hickman
Faculty Advisors, Gay and Lesbian
Student Services
Dr. Wendy Stock
Faculty Advisor, NOW
Band members' acts
spark mixed reviews
As we watched the Aggie Band per
form for the first time along with the
t.u. band, we wondered what the seven
band members were doing leaving the
field.
We figured there must be a legiti
mate reason for these members to be
leaving. Never in our wildest dreams
would we have thought these Aggies
were trying to be like the rest of the t-
sips in the stadium. You guys are just
about as low as all of those Longhorn
fans who were throwing ice at the Ag
gie Band and football team.
Colonel Toler did not act "irrational
ly or in haste." We believe it was you
who embarrassed yourselves, the Aggie
Band, and Texas A&M University —
and in front of 81,000 people and a na
tional television audience!
Throughout the game we felt proud
to be supporting a team that had class.
But on hearing the reason that these
band members left the field, we were
disappointed to find out that not all
students at this University represent
Texas A&M with class.
To Jerry Gonzalez, Blake Clampffer,
Jeff Gibbs and the rest of you misguid
ed Aggies — there are a lot of traditions
at Texas A&M like the Aggie Band,
bonfire. Elephant Walk, senior rings,
and Muster. These traditions are up
held with a few traditional Aggie char
acteristics like pride,, integrity, spirit
and class. The seven of you failed to
show any of the above!
We have one question for you. If
you really felt that strongly about not
sharing the field with the t.u. band,\
why were you even out on the field?
Next time you have a point to make
consider the image of the Aggie Band
and Texas A&M University and spare
the spotlight on yourselves!
Cagla Akgerman Darveaux
Tiffiny Blaschke
Class of '92
• As a former student and as a sup
porter of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band,
I have to admit that I am disgusted
with the disciplinary action that Col.
Toler took against some band members
after the halftime performance at the
t.u. game.
I agree that some action should have
been taken to reprimand those few stu
dents that had no desire to perform
with the Longhorn Band, but forced re
moval from the Aggie Band is entirely
too harsh. Those students were exercis
ing their rights as Americans by choos
ing not to stay on the field during that
part of halftime.
I realize that the Corps of Cadets and
the Aggie Band are priming men and
women for military service, but the
message Col. Toler is presenting is that
if your feel strongly about something
you have no business in the service.
The entire idea of these two groups
performing together was a fallacy
cooked up by t-sip officials. By inviting
the Aggie Band to perform with them,
the Longhorn Band could present a spe
cial halftime performance and their
team would not be penalized if the half
time show went over time.
In closing, I would like to point out
that next year marks the 100th meeting
of these two teams on the football field.
I strongly suggest that the Aggies
shouldn't plan any special type of cele
bration at Kyle Field (besides the cus
tomary beating the hell outta t.u.) I also
feel that those few Aggie Band mem
bers who left the field were wrong.
They should have organized their en
tire outfit to walk off with them. I am
sure that Lawrence Sullivan Ross
would have felt the same way.
Catherine Amos
Class of ‘90
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